XH588 Vulcan to fly over Norwich

[Hockham Admiral]

1sostatic, Hi.

A warm welcome aboard the good ship NBN and I look forward so to hearing about your Dad. Is Mum (June) still with us? Your Dad had a big influence on my subsequent aircrew career when I transferred to the front seat!

Neil, do you know which Sqn John Willis was on and was he P, N or AEO?

Sorry to be late in answering but I've been away a few days.

[ChrisB]

I have only ever seen a Vulcan once in flight, very low over Poole Bay when we were anchored in South Bay, Studland.

Someone said that it must have been having work done at Airwork Services of Bournemouth but I would have thought their runway at Hurn would be too short.

Used to see all sorts of interesting aircraft over the bay when Airworks were busy, quite a few old types being readied to be sold on to other countries.

[NeilB]

33 minutes ago, Hockham Admiral said:

Neil, do you know which Sqn John Willis was on and was he P, N or AEO?

I know he was was a pilot and ended up a bigwig but had to Google the rest !  He graduated in 1958 and served in 83, 44 & IX Sqn and became an instructor in 1964 .  Finished flying with 27 Sqn as commanding officer in the mid 70's.

Just wondering as he was my sisters father in law !  Found the info here - http://www.rafweb.org/index.html

[Paul]

I was  lucky enough to fly in a Mig 29 of the Uzbekistan Air Defence Service back in the early 1990s during a stopover in Tashkent. An incredible experience. I had been told to eat a good breakfast, but must admit I wished I hadn't, it wasn't quite so good on the way back up. My pilot spoke just two phrases in English, "boring" or "not boring", before I realised what I was doing I had, with a nervous laugh replied "not boring". 

It wasn't the changes of direction, the breaks that did for me, it was the nose dive from 55,000 feet. As the rest of me raced back toward the ground my breakfast decided it would rather stay up there. 

By the time we landed my stomach had just about recovered, but I could not get my legs to go. With help from the ground staff who undid my straps and helped me out of the cockpit i made it onto the forward edge of the wing, where a metal ladder was placed to get back to the ground. I came down that ladder using pretty much just my arms. I thought at the bottom as I stood on the tarmac stiff legged "not unlike Douglas Bader".......

[Ray]

Great story... kind of envious but in a 'glad it wasn't me' way 

[1sostatic]

3 hours ago, Hockham Admiral said:

1sostatic, Hi.

A warm welcome aboard the good ship NBN and I look forward so to hearing about your Dad. Is Mum (June) still with us? Your Dad had a big influence on my subsequent aircrew career when I transferred to the front seat!

Neil, do you know which Sqn John Willis was on and was he P, N or AEO?

Sorry to be late in answering but I've been away a few days.

Hi ...I'm Alex btw

Mum is fine, thank you 

It is a pleasure to finally find someone who knew Sqdn Ldr K.P. Clarke

I have very little idea of my Dads work colleagues...only some of his work -- he went off to the Empire Test Boscombe Down, where I spend a sizable chunk of my childhood; Having our daily display of old Harvard's Jet provost's, EE Lightnings... and my favourite the F4 Phantom. 

I'll go into the loft and see what other photographic memorabilia I can find.... somewhere, there is a shot of Dad Very-pistol in hand -, Mum stood watching ... and me on a baby blanket, a few months old, shrieking my head off... as a group of Vulcan's are taking off. Guess which noise would have dominated? 

All the very best -- hope we meet in a pub one day